Seeking advice for IT services career in India

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Q. I have done my Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (majoring in finance and marketing, with IT as a minor subject) at the Indian Institute of Planning and Management in New Delhi. The institute is popular for management courses.

I am now working as an IT consultant in a small organization which is new in the IT consultancy and services field. I have sufficient knowledge in basic IT applications, and I want to know if I can and should take up a course in SAP. Also, what other certification should I pursue to enhance my career prospects? I have no professional software programming and development knowledge.

My career goal is not well-specified yet. I'm just one week into this job as an assistant manager in IT solutions consulting. It's a very small and young organization. I won't say I was very keen to work here but I just grabbed the first opportunity I got during campus placements in my college. My area of interest lies in marketing, brand management and retail, and since I have entered into IT consulting and selling, I am not sure where I will end up. I was told by a friend that there are some certifications like ITIL Foundation or those related to technologies like IBM and Oracle, which I could take. But I don't know much about the courses, costs and details of institutes that provide such training. Please advise.

Career advice from Shashi Bhushan Rai, managing director of Brahmrishi Technologies:
The alternative courses mentioned doesn't suit your profile. Considering your interests in the retail sector and the growth potential in India during next five to 10 years, I believe that the candidate can opt for supply chain management (SCM). Hypermarts or supermarts will be the norm in a few years' time, particularly in the tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3 cities in India. These organizations need skilled people in SCM area because retail's main strength lies in SCM. Alternatively, I can also recommend going for courses in business intelligence or data Warehousing which would complement your qualifications.